My Dark Angel
by Shirae Natrice
Summary: past-self'-insert. It's two years after the Alice Game which nearly claimed all of the Rozen Maidens. Suigintou finds herself with a new Medium and this spells trouble for the rest. How will it all end?
1. Contract

CONTRACT

Andrew never paid attention to any e-mails that looked like sales, but this one felt different. He clicked to open the message: _Artificial Spirit Mei-Mei is searching for the one to form a contract with her companion after the death her privous Medium. Suigintou is a masterpiece created by the legendary Rozen, one of a kind and beautiful. Will you wind? Will you not wind? _The only part of the message that made any sense was the part about Rozen. Rozen was likely the greatest craftsman to ever make a doll, Andrew had once seen a documentary that his mom had Tevo'ed about him. Rozen's early works had price tags with five figures, Andrew was almost afraid to know the value of something labeled as his masterpiece.

Unfortunately, there were no links, attatchments, or any other information in the message. Dispite his curiosity, Andrew had nothing left to do but delete the message. However, he accidentally clicked reply. After rereading the message, Andrew typed in, _I will wind_. The moment he clicked send, the power went out in the studio apartment he was living in. "You gotta be kidding!"

Andrew stood from his desk and stepped to the window. Pulling the string, he looked through the angled blinds and saw that his was the only unit without power. He was puzzled when he moved to the circuit-breaker and saw that nothing was amiss. stumped, he reached for his cell phone, switching his mind to Japanese as he began to dial his landlord. he stopped right before he hit call when he heard a soft thump.

Turning, Andrew saw a box the size of his torso open on its own. at first, he thought he was gazing at the sleeping form of a girl. However, as he approached, Andrew noticed that she wasn't breathing; coupling that fact with the small key sitting near her head, he figured out that she was a doll. He looked over the resting form beneath him: she was garbed in a black gothic dress, with porcelian white skin, black angel-wings, and hair that reminded him of mercury. "Mercury..." Andrew translated in his head, "Suigin... so, could this be... Suigintou?"

He lifted her gently from the box and turned her over. While being unfamiliar with dolls in general, Andrew at least understood the basics. he reached for the key and inserting it into the small hole in her back, just above her waist, he turned it. He turned the doll to face him, expecting her to open her eyes, smile and hold out her arms. He nearly dropped her when she grabbed his wrists.

Opening her fiery violet-pink eyes, she commanded in japanese, "release me."

Out of a sense of surrealism, Andrew obeyed. "Y-You're alive? I thought you were a doll."

"both are correct. I am Suigintou, First Doll of the Rozen Maidens." She paused as her hand brushed lint from her stomach and gasped, "since when?"

"Suigintou? Andrew asked, "is something wrong?"

She cast a sideways glance at the high school freshman. She coupled his accent with his skin tone to come up with the question, "are you an american?"

"Yes," Andrew nodded as he spoke, "I'm an Exchange student from Minnesota. "He offered a handshake, "my name is Andrew Yarbrough, its a pleasure to meet you."

Suigintou looked at the hand before grasping it lightly. In an attempt to seem more of a gentleman by the standards of Rozen's time, Andrew kissed her ring.

"No, you fool!" Suignitou protested too late. The ring glowed like a black light and a stream of light burst forth from it to the ring finger of Andrew's left hand. After a moment, the stream of light ended, slowly solidifying into a matching Rose Ring on Andrew's finger.

"It's so warm..." Andrew mused

Suigintou was about to demand that she break the Contract, but then a flow of power, far stronger than Megu had ever supplied, came through their newly-formed bond, "so warm..." Suigintou found herself cooing.

After a moment the ring was complete and slowly stopped radiating it's warmth. Andrew recovered from the sudden elation the magic had caused. He looked at the girl who was cupping her face with her hands as if thoroughly embarrased and trying to hide the blush, "Suigintou?"

Still reveling in the feeling of warmth and power, Suigintou didn't hear him. when Andrew called for her attention again, she snapped out of it. "what?" she demanded, upset that she had been interrupted.

"What was that?"

"You just formed a Contract with me. You have become my Medium, a multiplier and extra source of my magic."

"Multiplier? Does that mean we have to fight something?"

Suigintou floated over to the kitchen counter and sat on the edge, "not something, some_one_. I must defeat the other Rozen Maidens so I can become Alice and fulfill Father's dream."

"Father?" Andrew inquired futher, "you mean Rozen?"

"You catch on quickly."

"What did you mean 'Become Alice'?"

"Alice is Perfection. The Ultimate Girl. Pure, sublime, beautiful."

"And how do you fall short?" Andrew thought Suigintou was all those things, he had a gift with clay, but Rozen's craftsmanship was FAR beyond anything he could hope to create. If he were younger, Andrew would have likely persued her romantically.

Suigintou pretended not to hear him, "as my Medium, I expect you not to disappoint me. You seem... average."

Andrew was pretty sure he should feel insulted by the comment, but decided against it. "I'll try not to let you down. What do I have to do as a Medium?"

"Nothing really. Shinku's Medium follows her around like a lost puppy, but Megu never left her bed at the hospital." Her voice changed wher she mentioned Megu.

"Was that sadness?" Andrew thought. Then he realized that Megu must have been the Medium that died mentioned in the email. He turned when he noticed that the doll was no longer on the counter "Suigintou?" He heard the window open and turned to see the silver hair whip in the wind as Suigintou flew off into the dark night. "I guess that must be a sensitive issue."


	2. Mediums

(A/N: one of my friends complained to me that before the end of the story, Suigintou's personally differs from what it should be. To this I must point out Season 2: Traumend. think about how much she'd softened after spending the... ?month?... before the end of the show with Megu. well, now its been over a year she'd spent with her... and you'll see the other reasons before the end... fans of certain characters, don't hate me for what must be done ;-p)

MEDIUMS

"Damn that Sakurada kid!" Andrew yelled as he threw his backback on the table and stormed into his room. He began changing into normal clothes, "always interrupting when I try and talk with that cute Kashiwaba girl! And I'd finally worked up the courage to ask her out!"

"Sakurada?" Suigintou's eyes flashed when she heard mention of Shinku's Medium.

Andrew turned with a start. He relaxed when he saw who was talking, "oh, it's you Suigintou... Were you watching me change!"

Suigintou grinned, "I had previously assumed that you were just skinny, but now I see you actually have a somewhat atheletic body." Her grin widened when her strange comment had the desired effect. She watched Andrew's face turn red, she'd taken a liking to the boy because he was so easy to embarass. She'd always have somebody to torture, although it was outside of her normal methods of doing so. "You mentioned Jun."

"Oh, you know him?"

"He's Shinku's Medium."

Andrew remembered the hatred and disgust that always filled Suigintou's voice whenever she'd mention Shinku. "I guess we both have a reason to hate my Class Representitive."

Suigintou's grin of amusement turn into her normal sadistic one, "do tell."

"Well there's this total cutie in my homeroom class named Kashiwaba Tomoe, and I've been trying to get her to like me. But Sakurada keeps getting in the way," Andew clenched his fists, "they aren't even going out, but he won't let me get a chance!"

Suigintou's sadistic look intensified as the flow of magic in their link multiplied at least five-fold. "Maybe he's jealous. He may want to win her heart for himself."

"I know! That's what pisses me off!"

"Andrew's jealous side quickly turns to anger," Suigintou thought, deciding that she'd been wrong, Andrew's strong emotional reactions would supply her incredible power in a fight. "Maybe we should go visit our enemies."

"How? I don't know where they live."

Suigintou grabbed Andrew's hand and lead him to the mirror hanging from his closet. She touched it, causing it to ripple like water.

"How did you do that?" Andrew reached out to touch the glass, and yanked back when his hand passed through it. "what is this?"

"N-Field. I opened the door to Shinku's Field."

"That doesn't tell me much," Andrew gave a hollow laugh.

You'll see," Suigintou passed through without another word.

Andrew checked to make sure he had his lucky buck-knife, just in case. He slowly reached out his hand again. When his fingers dissapeard behind the ripples, he took a deep breath and stepped forward.

After a brief flash, Andrew found his feet on solid ground. he looked around, not seeing Suigintou, he called out to her. When she didn't respond, he took the time to investigate his surroundings. He stood in front of a big window, an endless field of roses strecthed in all directions he could see; and the room itself that he stood in was a Victorian tea room. "Interesting taste," he stepped farter into the room. "From what she told me about Shinku, I was expecting something more vibrant."

"An unwelcomed person has no right to question a Lady's taste," an almost arrogant sounding voice came from behind him as Shinku and Jun materialized behind him.

"YOU?" Jun was stunned to see the exchange student.

"What's up Class Rep?" Andrew's eyes srapened as they met with Jun's

"Who are you?" Shinku demanded, "how did you get here?"

"Shinku," Suigintou stepped out from the shadows of the corner. "It's good to see you are well enough to fight."

"I was afraid of that..." Shinku looked at the ground, "you still insist on the Alice Game? Father told both Jun and me that it isn't the only way."

"After all the suffering you've caused me, you still try to play this 'let's be friends' routine? No, Shinku! Father told me the same thing, but I CHOOSE the Alice Game! Father will see me and me alone!" her wings trembled, "as I said before, I will be the one to defeat you!" a cloud of razor-edged feathers flew at Shinku.

Jun dove to the ground and Shinku escaped the attack by flying out the window. Suigintou leapt into the air after her. Jun rose to his feet and turned to watch as the dolls tangled in the air above the roses.

Andrew walked up behind Jun, he had a bone to pick with his class representitive. "Hey!"

The american's voice snapped his attention away from the intense fight above them. "how long have you been a Medium, Andrew?"

"Suigintou showed up about a week ago, right before the semester started."

"you know she's insane right?

"Twisted maybe. But she only wants to make somebody else happy and she's being denied that... much like you do to me."

"What? I'd never do that!" Jun proclaimed his innocence.

"Kashiwaba-san..." Andrew's eyes bored into Jun's

"What about Tomoe?" Jun cowered slightly at the look in Andrew's eyes.

"I've been trying to talk to her since the start of last semester. But everytime the conversation begins to turn away from classes, you get in the middle one way or the other." Andrew's look softened, "I want to be the one to make her smile once in a while."

Jun thought back, and he realized that there WERE alot of times he'd interrupted conversations between Andrew and Tomoe, but mostly it wasn't on purpose.

Shinku crying out in pain broke Jun's train of thought. He realized his wavering emotions had weakened his multiplier effect as a Medium. "Shinku!"

Andrew watched as Jun leapt to the ground below the window. looking up, he saw Shinku plummeting to the ground, causing an explosion of rose petals when she landed. A sword appeared from a cluster of feathers in Suigintou's hand as she dove like a hawk after the unconcious Shinku, laughing out her victory for the world to hear.

"SHINKU!" Jun screamed, knowing he wouldn't make it in time

"SUIGINTOU!!!" Andrew yelled over everything. the force of his voice was enough to give pause to the girl, even in her moment of triumph. Jun placed himself between Suigintou and Shinku in that moment. "You've won Suigintou. However it was because i caused Jun to waver."

"Are you saying you think Shinku is stronger!" Suigintou was enraged that her victory had been wasted by her own Medium.

"No. I mean you won't be satisfied unless you beat them at their best."

Suigintou looked down at Jun. The last time she'd seen him make that face, she was defeated in EVERY category by Shinku... but Suigintou didn't have a Medium back then.

"Let's go home," Andrew offered, "we can challenge them again some other time."

Suigintou wanted to stay until Shinku woke up, so she could continue the fight while Jun was in his peak emotional state. However, it was obvious that Andrew had lost the taste for battle and would no longer be able to provide the boost she'd need to defat the Shinku-Jun pair at their best. She sighed and released the spell holding her sword in existance.

As Suignitou flew back in through the window, Andrew watched Jun cradle shinku as he stood. "We're leaving," Suigintou commanded, still very upset that the chance to take Shinku's Rosa Mystica had slipped through her fingers yet again. She opened a door out of the Field and passed through the mirror she'd used.

Jun made eye contact with Andrew as the american stepped up to the exit. The looks that passed between the Mediums weren't of anger, hatred or sadness. Their eyes merely spoke to eac other about their uncertainty of the future.


	3. Letters

LETTERS

Jun stood waiting outside their homeroom class the next day at school. "Thank you for stopping her," Jun meekly offered his gratitude.

"I just didn't want her to take a life," Andrew shrugged, "but I do want to see her dream come true, I can't promise you that I'll stop her next time."

"If you think she hasn't-" The school beel cut Jun short. After moving to his desk he began his Class Representitive duties, "Stand!"

When their homeroom teacher reached her podium, Jun said, "bow!"

As the students all lowered their heads they greeted their teacher, "good morning Micchan-Sensei!"

Andrew had never fully understood how the young woman who didn't even have a legal teaching license was not only his photography teacher, but also his homeroom teacher. Jun had once explained it had something to do with her being part of the Japanese equivalence of an American co-op school, but Andrew hadn't really been paying attention, he'd been staring at Tomoe at the time.

"Good morning class," she answered as she adjusted her glasses. "Please be seated... So, Sakurada-san, any announcements?

"no ma'am."

"Anybody have any announcements?" Micchan scanned the room and paused when she saw a hand, "Yalboho-san?"

Andrew flinched at the absolute destruction of his name caused by the differences in English and Japanese. "It's said 'Yar-brough', Micchan-Sensei"

Because of the fact that 'L' and 'R' are the same sound in Japanese, the teacher's next attempt sounded like "Yal-blo".

Andrew chose not to complain, knowing that was the closest it would get without taking the time to teach the woman how to say 'R'. "I recieved a letter from Yuki-chan."

"From Ajisawa-san? Wonderful! I hope she's having as much fun in Minnesota as you are having here!"

"Of course she says 'Minnesota' right," Andrew laughed to himself as he unfolded the paper. He read about how Yuki Ajisawa had enjoyed her last few days of Summer Break by going with her American friends to the ValleyFair and Camp Snoopy amusement parks.

"Snoopy has a theme park?" A girl with Peanuts stickers all over her bookbag gasped excitedly.

"Yes, Haru" Andrew looked up from the letter, "it's inside the Mall of America, one of the world's largest malls."

The class made sounds of disbelief, there was just no way to fit a theme park in a mall.

"She sent pictures if you don't believe me." Once the photos began circulating, he continued the letter. Yuki talked about how nervous she'd been about going to a school knowing almost nobody there, but Chaska High wasn't as scary as she'd thought. according to her, there were three reasons: The teachers were nice, the girls were nice, and the boys were cute.

Yuki ended the letter with a fond farewell to her friends and classmates.

"Well, it sounds like Ajisawa-san is having a blast!" Micchan commented merrily.

What andrew hadn't read was the other letter, niether did he pass the photo attached to that letter around. those were meant for him and him alone. It was in response to the letter he'd sent Yuki about Suigintou. The picture was of a cheery little girl with blonde curls and a pink dress, the letter said "you aren't the only one."


	4. Rings

RINGS

It was the brief break between 2nd and 3rd hour, so Andrew walked down to his locker to grab the Nikon-SLR camera that was once his father's. As he reached in to grab the camera bag, he felt a faint buring coming from the Rose Ring on his hand. He saw it began to glow faintly. "she's fighting..." concern filled his whispering voice, "Suigintou..."

Andrew hid the glowing ring in his pocket as he slung the camera bag over his shoulder He turned to walk back to his homeroom for the only elective on his schedule this semester, Photography.

He stopped when he saw Tomoe standing behind him, "Kashiwaba san?"

"Jun seemed down today," she started, "I saw you talking to him before homeroom. I was wondering if you knew what was wrong."

A sudden flare from the ring caused Andrew to pause, "Sakurada and I kinda got into it the other day."

"Really? I didn't think you two argued like that."

"Oh no, it wasn't that bad. He and I talked it out before class." He offered a reassuring smile.

"Oh, that's good." Tomoe smiled back, "well, we should get to class. Talk to you later."

As Andrew sat in class, the buring continued. "This fight is taking so long..." he thought, "Whoever it is must be strong." Micchan paused her lecture on the effects of lighting and shadows as a wave of pain passed over her face. It was at this point that Andrew realized that Micchan was also hiding her left hand as well. "...no... it can't be..."

Andrew waited until Micchan told the class to break into pairs before he raised his hand, "Sensei, could you come here for a second?" The burning in his ring began to fade.

Micchan walked over to him, "what is it?"

In a hushed voice he asked, "does the question 'will you wind? Will you not wind?' mean anything to you?"

A flash of fear crossed her face. "Yes, she means alot to me."

Andrew pulled his Rose Ring out just far enough to show the faint glowing to his teacher, "I think we've been fighting for the past twenty minutes."

Micchan's face went white and she looked down at the pocket she was hiding her ring in.

Andrew felt a strong warmth coming through his connection with Suigintou, refreshing him like a hot chocolate after working outside on a cold winter's day.

Micchan slowly pulled her hand from the pocket, fearing what she already knew awaited. "Kanaria..." she whispered, her voice shaking, "Please God, no..." Tears began streaming from her eyes when she saw a pale patch of skin where her Rose Ring used to be.

Andrew didn't know for certain, but his instincts told him that Suigintou had just claimed her first Rosa Mystica, the soul of a Rozen Maiden. "Sensei..."

"This is your fault," She whispered accussingly. She began walking briskly towards the door, she stopped when she opened it. "Class, you are to work in your pairs and take pictures that reinforce the lecture of the day. I'll be taking a break for the rest of class."

Everybody turned with questioning looks to Andrew who stared dumbfounded at the door as it slammed. "...Sensei..." He said distantly.


	5. Violin

VIOLIN

Andrew heard a soft and somber melody coming from his bedroom when he opened the door to his apartment. He kicked off his shoes and dropped his bookbag. walking into his room, Andrew collapsed onto his futon, emotionally exhausetd from the day.

The violin stopped, "welcome home," Suigintou's voice was cheery, something Andrew wasn't used to.

"Please keep playing, it was helping me unwind."

Suigintou resumed playing with a smile. She closed her eyes as she played.

"You were fighting again," Andrew said, somewhere between a question and a statement.

"I was," the doll answered without stopping the music or opening her eyes.

"You won."

"Of course. I took the time to toy with her before dealing the final blow."

The music stopped when Suigintou's cheek erupted in pain. Her purple-pink eyes snapped open and burned as she glared at the now standing Andrew with rage. "How dare you strike me!"

"How dare you torture someone!"

Drawing on Kanaria's magic, Suigintou flicked a single string. Andrew was slammed into the wall, knocking the wind out of him. "Don't you dare tell me what to do, Andrew!" She summoned her sword and lifted his chin with the blade to look him in the eye. "I have my own wat of doing things. You live your life, and I'll play my games."

"Your games..." Andrew said, fighting through the pain the shockwave had caused as it ripped through him. "Have cost you dearly in the past..."

Suigintou's eyes narrowed, uncertain as to howthe boy would finish his statement.

"I don't wanna see that happen... I want to see you become Alice." The feeling of cold metal dissappeared as the black feathers floated to the ground.

Suigintou summoned the violin again ad began playing once more. She'd never had someone so openly care for her welfare before, it felt foreign. It was strange, but she kinda liked it.

Andrew felt his strength slow returning to him as he listened to the music. The emotions of the dark angel were laid bare by the music, whether she knew it or not. Andrew felt Suigintou's deep-seeted sorrows. He felt her rage towards the other Rozen dolls. He felt her longing to earn Rozen's love and approval by becoming Alice. he also felt something new, something directed towards him; he couldn't identify the emotion, but it was comforting.

The rest of the evening, until dinner , remained much the same. Andrew lying on his bed, listening to Suigintou play. He closed his eyes and found visions created by the girl's changing melodies. her felt a pang of regret when his stomach began demanding that he leave the room to get something to eat.


	6. Confrontation

CONFRONTATION

Micchan didn't show up for school the next day. Jun kept shooting dark glares at Andrew. "Shinku must have somehow found out about what happened with Kanaria and told him about it," Andrew thought as he broke eye contact.

After homeroom, Jun trapped the American in the classroom, just the two of them. He walked up to Andrew and lifted him by the collar, "How could you!"

"Hey!" Andrew protested, "I wasn't even there, I was in 3rd hour!"

"But you're still Suigintou's Medium!"

"You're a Medium?" Tomoe had come back because she'd forgotten her book bag. She walked in and found the two boys in the current situation.

"Kashiwaba-san!" Andrew looked over Jun's shoulder at the girl.

Tomoe looked at Andrew's left hand for the answer. She spotted the Rose Ring, "So... you've awakened that horrible girl."

"She's not as bad as you both think!" Andrew defened Suigintou, "you've only known her as an enemy!"

Jun lowered him to the floor and released his grip, "you've never seen her in action, have you?"

"What do you mean?" Andrew straightened his shirt and tucked it back in.

"She may have been twisted because of how she was wronged in the past. But since then, she's done things far worse."

"Well," Andrew picked up the book bag he'd dropped when Jun lifted him off the ground. "As I've said before... I see a girl who has been repeatedly denied her dream. And I've decided that I want to help her." He stopped at the door and looked back at his classmates, "and I don't need anyone else's approval." He loooked specifically at Tomoe, "not even from the girl I like."

Andrew stepped through the door, leaving the Former Medium of Hina Ichigo looking at the Medium of Shinku and Suiseiseki. After a minute, Jun said, "I get the feeling that things are about to get much worse."

Tomoe nodded in agreement as students began entering for their 1st hour class. Little did they know, the source of their next problem would come from another classmate with a Rose Ring that they hadn't noticed.


	7. Sora

(A/N: since most of my friends only saw the Dubbed version, as opposed to me who watched the RAW, i switched out 'desu' with her dubbed speaking habit of overusing the word 'so') 

SORA

Yamato Tsukawaki walked into his house, "Mom, I'm home."

Nobody answered, but Yamato wasn't suprised, his mother often worked late. He took off his shoes and walked up the stairs to his room. "I'm back, Sora."

His closet slid open to reveal a girl, dressed in the clothing of a Victorian-era boy, with a small hat to match. She had short brown hair, one eye like a ruby, and one like an emerald. "Welcome home, Ya-chan." She smiled sweetly.

Yamato smiled back. Over the course of the month since he'd recieved from someone called Lempika and wound up the Doll which appeared soon after, he and the memoryless girl he named Sora had become close.

"How was school?"

"It sucked," he sighed as he began to change out of his uniform.

Sora watched with half-interest; she was attracted to Yamato, but she knew her feelings wouldn't be reciprocated. The boy already had a beautiful girlfriend named Haru, plus she doubted that Yamato looked at her any different than a little sister. "What was so bad?"

"I forgot both my lunch AND my wallet, so i was screwed when lunch rolled around."

"Poor baby," Sora teased. She froze when she felt a presence.

"What's wrong?" Yamato asked as he buttoned the pair of jeans he pulled on.

"Someone is in my Garden."

"You mean that place you took me the other night?"

"Yes. Let's go." Sora stood in front of the mirror on the wall near the bedroom door. She held her hand out to her side and summoned the Gardener's Scissors before touching the glass with her free hand. She wanted to be ready to protect her Ya-chan if need be.

Yamato watched in amazement as the glass rippled like water. He'd seen Sora make an N-field before, but it still wasn't something he understood. He followed after the girl and after a flash of light, Yamato stood in a flower garden surrounded by a vast forest, Sora's Garden.

A girl with long, flowing brown hair sensed their entry and turned. She wore an emerald green dress, and like Sora had one red eye and one green eye. Both eyes filled with tears of joy when she was the girl behind her. "You're back!" She cried as she ran towards Sora and embraced her, "I so missed you!"

Sora felt ashamed to have to ask, it was obvious that this girl was very close to her. "Who are you?"

The girl stopped crying, "Souseiseki! how can you say that?"

"Souseiseki?..." Sora was genuinely confused, "no, my name is Sora."

"No! you are SO my twin sister Souseiseki!"

Sora dropped the Gardener's Scissors and stumbled backwards, clutching her head as if in pain as she tried to force open the locked door of her memories. "WHY? WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER?"

"Sora!" Yamato ran forward and protectively put his arms around the doll. He turned to the other girl, "please, leave her alone!"

"This is so your fault, isn't it?" Suiseseki summoned the Gardener's Watering Can and pointed it menacingly at Yamato. "Sui Dream!" The girl called for her Artificial Spirit which filled her can with glowing water. "GIVE ME BACK MY SISTER!" She tilted the can as she leapt back.

Vines sprung up from where the glowing water hit the ground and shot at Yamato. Sora's arm shot out and snatched the scissors from where they fell. She threw Yamato off of her and slashed at the vines. Once the green tendrils stopped bursting from the ground, Sora leapt across the distance between her and the other dool and brought her weapon down.

"Sou...sei...se...ki..." The girl in green clutched at the dark blue clothing and looked up with the question she no longer had the strength to ask.

"Because i don't care who you are. Nobody will ever hurt my Ya-chan."

The girl released Sora's clothing as her Rosa Mystica seperated from her body. A glowing, ruby-like stone surrounded by rings of light hovered in front of Sora. "Rosa Mystica..." She whispered, not sure how she knew what it was. The gem floated up to the girl's chest, and Yamato felt warmth emenating from his Rose Ring as the gem dissapeared into Sora's chest, causing her to glow slightly.

Sora gave a soft yelp as her memories came flooding back. She clutched her chest and covered her mouth as if she were about to vomit. Tears began streaming from her eyes. "Suiseiseki... oh God, what have I done?"

"Sora?" Yamato approached her apprehensively

She dove, sobbing, into his chest, seeking the warmth and support that she'd need to ever cope with the unforgivable act she'd just commited."


	8. How could you do this

HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?

"This is horrible..." Jun tried to look away from Suiseiseki's body, but it was such an emotional blow that he couldn't. The wound was from her left shoulder to her right hip; Her dress and the neglige beneath it were ripped, her skin was open to the point that you could see the mangled clockwork inside her. "Suigintou really did a number on her."

"Jun..." Shinku sighed darkly, "Suigintou did not do this." She sorely wished her powers of observation were lying.

"But what makes you say that?"

"Look around you, something is missing that would be here if it were Suigintou's doing."

It took a minute before Jun realized what she meant, "feathers! There are no feathers here!"

"Yes," Shinku knelt down and traced the wound on here sister's torso. "Although this wound WAS created with a blade, the cut is too wide to be a sword."

"You can't be going where i think you are!" Jun knew that they now shared the suspicion. She is the only one who could POSSIBLY have any reason to do this AND use a weapon with a cutting edge that size."

"Souseiseki... How could you do this?"


	9. Alice Game

ALICE GAME

Andrew noticed the depression of two of his classmates when he got to class on Monday. The one he'd been expecting was Jun, Suigintou had sensed the defeat of Suiseiseki and told him that one of Jun's Dolls had fallen. The one he didn't expect was Tsukawaki-kun, who sat directly behind him and usually pummeled him with questions about some part of American Culture.

Instead of his usual routine of bantering with his american friend, Yamato slumped into his seat with a pronounced sigh. He stared out the window as he thought about Sora. Ever since the incident in her Garden, she'd been on a downward spiral. yesterday, she'd spent the entire day locked in her box, crying over killing her twin.

Jun wore the berieved expression of someone who'd lost a family member. The Sakurada residence had been silent since he came back through the mirror with Suiseiseki's broken body in his arms.

The entire class was darkened by the mood of two of the most popular boys in the entire school.

The black attire and down-trodden attitude of Micchan-sensei suggested to the class that she'd lost someone as well.

When the 1st Hour bell finally rang, Micchan asked Jun, Yamato and Andrew to stay. She walked over to the door and locked it, "do you know why I asked the three of you to stay?" When none of them answered, she continued with, "Will you wind? Will you not wind?"

"It can't be!" Yamato stepped back, "you're all Mediums too?"

Andrew held up his Rose Ring, Jun did the same.

"I used to be one," Micchan held up her hand, the skin was still pale where the ring had been for years. "But," she looked at Andrew, "his doll took my precious Kana-chan from me."

"YOU'RE Kanaria's Medium?" Jus asked. After pausing he gave a soft smile, "makes sense, you have meshing personalities."

"So, do you know why i asked you to meet each other?"

"no," Yamato shook his head.

"Because Kana told me something before she died. she had a strange feeling that all of them were awake. She was afraid the Alice Game was about to begin again."

Andrew and Jun seemed to understand the severity of the statement. Yamato asked, "Alice Game?"

"You must have woken up Hina Ichigo," Jun smiled, Thinking of the girl with golden curls. "She's the only one childish enough not to explain it."

"No, I call her Sora, but the girl in green called her something else."

"Souseiseki! You're Souseiseki's Medium?"

"I think that's what she called her."

Jun went silent and tried to keep himself from attacking Yamato. Suiseiseki's defeat wasn't actually his doing after all.

"So then..." Micchan began thinking as the bell to begin 1st hour rang. "Who has Hina Ichigo?"

"blonde curly hair and a pink dress?" Andrew asked, thinking of the picture Yuki had sent him.

"Yeah, that's her." Jun answered.

"I know where she is."


	10. Yuki

YUKI

"Yuki-chan," sang the girl in the pink dress. "I drew you a picture!"

"Let me see it, Yuri." Yuki had named the girl after the lily flower.

"Here! Here!" She giggled excitedly as she held the picture out to her Medium. "It's Yuri and Yuki at the grocery store!"

"I see," the japanese girl smiled, "like we did yesterday."

"mm-hm!" she nodded and pointed in the cart, "See, we're getting carrots and juice and eggs and strawberries!"

"Yep, and there is your friend Nick with an orange."

"Yuki! can we play hopscotch?"

"It's too dark outside, silly."

"Oh yeah! Teehee!"

The two girls laughed. Yuri stopped suddenly and turned to the mirror on the vanity, "someone is coming."

As if on cue, the mirrior began to ripple like water. Silver hair emerged first as Suigintou entered through the N-field. Andrew missed his step and fell to the ground as he entered.

"Andrew?" Yuki asked as she stepped over to him.

"W-What is this?" Yuri asked, hiding behind Yuki.

"So, you are here, Hina Ichigo." Suigintou smiled maliciously.

"Not now," Andrew told her as he stood, "we aren't here to fight."

Suigintou growled, "you said were were coming about the Alice Game."

Andrew ignored her and turned to Yuki, "I came to warn you, the other Rozen Maidens might come to fight you."

"Fight? Yuri cowered behind her Medium's legs.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yuki was getting mad that these two would scare the little girl.

"I want to warn you..." He glanced uneasily at the dark angel hovering near his head, "especially about this one. Suigintou is... quite zealous in her quest to collect the Rosa Mysticae."

The words Rosa Mysticae awoke something inside Yuri's mind. She ran around and stood protectively in front of Yuki, "Yuri will protect you!"

"It seems this one wants to play," Suigintou could no longer contain herself.

Andrew saw the black wings tremble, and leapt across the room to knock Yuki out of the way as the dealy feathers ripped through the air.

The pink dress was in tatters as Yuri fell to the ground, black feathers sticking out of her like knives. "Yu..." she reached for her Medium, "ki..." The red gem-like Rosa Mystica separated from her.

Suignitou laughed as she reached for it. "Hina Ichigo," Wrapping her fingers around the gem she commented, "so weak."

Andrew held his sobbing friend, "damn you, Suigintou!"

She looked up confused. Andrew had said he wanted to help her become Alice, but now he was cursing her for taking the steps to do it. "You said you wished for me to become Alice, right?"

"I do, but you don't have to kill someone simply because you can!"

She consumed Hina Ichigo's magical essence and Andrew felt the warmth pass through their connection. "Would you rather," Suigintou conutered, "if I'd have tortured her first?" She knew the answer was an obvious 'no', but she had asked the question to undermine Andrew's conviction.

"No... but..." Andrew had no idea how to reply.

Suigintou floated over to him and put a hand on his cheek, "THIS is the Alice Game. The path to Alice is stained in the blood of my own sisters."

"How? How can you kill your own family so lightly?"

"Because they are no family of mine. they outcast me and I have no love for them. Shinku, Souseiseki and Bara Suishou are all that stand between me and Father."

"If..." Andrew almost couldn't believe what he was about to say. "If you are going to do this, you fight them outright, I'll help however I can."

"The remaining three are too skilled to defeat by trickery anyways.


	11. Maestro

MAESTRO

Once Yuki had calmed down, Andrew motioned that he was ready to leave. Suigintou touched the mirror and opened the N-Field, connecting it to Andrew's apartment. Once Suigintou stepped through the rippling surface, Andrew looked back at Yuki who was cradling the Doll she'd been joined to. He felt the situation was his fault as he jumped over the vainity and into the mirror. He flipped to land on his feet once he felt gravity again. But, he did not find himself in his room

Suigintou was looking around the theatre hall as if expecting an attack.

"Suigintou, where are we?"

"This is a field I don't know."

"The Path of Dreams has many twists and turns," a voice echoed. "One needs to simply make a wrong turn to discover a new world."

"LAplace! Show yourself!" Suigintou demanded.

A white mas-sized rabbit in a tuxedo stepped out from the wings of the stage and bowed theatrically. "those who wish to see a lie will see a lie. And yet they might still find the truth."

"What are you?"

"I am both myself and yet, I am no one."

"Don't bother," Suigintou looked at the stage with disgust, "Laplace is nothing but riddles."

"Laplace?"

"What do you want?" Suigintou returned her attention to the rabbit.

"The Child of Lies seeks the eldest daughter of Life." Laplace said 'Lies' and 'Life' as if they were titles.

"Life?" Suigintou took a second before it clicked, "Father? The Maestro of Life?"

"Exactly so," Laplace began applauding.

"Who is the Child of Lies?"

In answer a rose quartz pillar burst from the ground. A girl with white hair, and eyepatch with a rose, and a dress that looked like an inverted, unbloomed rosebud, hovered out from behind it.

"Bara Suishou! Why?"

"Why?" she echoed.

"Don't mess with me!"

"Don't mess with me."

"What do you want?"

"Do you know what it is that you want?"

Suigintou got the feeling that Bara Suishou wasn't about to attack her. "What do you mean?"

"Do you know the dream that lies in your heart?"

"Of course! I will become Alice and live with Father!"

Bara Suishou pointed at the pillar of quartz, "I wonder..."

Suigintou looked at the crystal and saw herself as a teenaged girl in her school uniform. "What is this?" She asked when she saw that she didn't have ball joints.

"The Dream Crystals reveal the the deepest desire of those who gaze into them," Laplace explained. "Sometimes the heart can be a bewilderingly deep maze, even to the one it belongs to. It can lock its own wishes away and hide them from itself."

Suigintou continued watching as 'she turned to face a silent call. Andrew appeared and they began walking together, Suigintou hanging on his arm happily. "This... This can't be right."

"A mirror never lies," Laplace countered.

Suigintou felt her Rosa Mystica pulsing as she watched the school-girl version of herself rise to her tip-toes and kiss Andrew. she ripped herself away to look at Andrew, all of a sudden nervous that he could see the fanatasy playing out in the crystal.

"It seems that Life and Death do indeed share a connection," Laplace mused.

"Are you saying that..." Andrew began to understand the rabbits cryptic way of speaking, "I'm the Maestro of Death?"

"Only a Maestro can compose a symphony within a Rozen Maiden."

"Andrew is a Maestro," Suigintou thought disbelievingly. But when she thought about it, it made sense; His amplification powers were strong, she usually obeyed him for some reason, and as she just realized, she loved him.

"Death?" Andrew put a hand on his heart, "it feels so mobid."

"Light and Healing will seek you out soon," Laplace offered a word of warning. "That is, if you can leave here alive."

More pillars of quartz began shooting out of the ground as Bara Suishou attacked. Suigintou threw Andrew out of the way as she dodged. Bara Suishou took advantage of the extra time Suigintou needed to protect her Medium and got behind the dark angel with her quartz blade raised before Suigintou could react. Suigintou closed her eyes, knowing she'd been beat.

But the blow didn't come, intead she felt a beautiful warmth wash over her. Suigintou opened her eyes to see Bara Suishou struggling against the berry vines that Hina Ichigo's magic summons. She followed the path of the vines back to Andrew who held them, refusing to allow the girl to strike down his Doll.

"Don't let your guard down like that!" He yelled.

Bara Suishou decided to stop fighting against the pull, and turned to attack Andrew. Andrew and Suigintou both knew that they couldn't react in time to stop the blade aimed at his heart. But, the attack missed as Andrew fell into a Rabbit Hole. Suigintou also found herself wrapped in the strange yellow light as Laplace's magic sent them away.

"There are those who aren't allowed to fall before the final curtain is raised," the rabbit laughed.


	12. Glow

GLOW

Suigintou landed on Andrew as the Rabbit Hole dropped them on his bed. She hovered over to the window and looked out over the city lights.

"Suigintou?" Andrew walked up beside her, "are you alright?"

"Did you see?"

"What?"

"My dream in the crystal."

Andrew sighed, "no, I think I saw my dream."

Suigintou noticed something different in his voice. "I see," she said relieved.

"What was it like?"

"Huh?"

"Seeing yourself as Alice."

Suigintou didn't answer, she just turned back the window. "Andrew, how did you summon those vines?"

I'm not sure... All i did was want to save you, then all of a sudden, I saw what looked like Rosa Mysticae. I reached out for one and then the vines shot out of the ground as i grabbed it... I've had this... glowing... feeling in the back of my mind since then."

"Try something for me," Suigintou more commanded than requested.

"Sure, anything." Andrew was suprised by his willingness to please the silver-haired girl. He thought about the vision he'd seen in the crystal; as weird as it was, he felt that he might actually love Suigintou.

"Focus on that sensation," She instructed, 'glowing' was a good word to describe the feeling of magic that she had. "Let it was over you."

Andrew did as he was told. He lost concentration as Suigintou gasped. "What's wrong?"

A slight blush was on the girl's face as she held both hands over her chest, "nothing, continue."

Andrew did it again, and found the Rosa Mysticae floating in his Mind's-Eye, one surrounded by pink light, and the other by yellow. "Now what?"

"do you see them?" Suigintou's voice echeoed from all directions.

"Yes," Andrews voice seemed to eminate from inside Suigintou as she felt the incredible warmth flowing from her Rosa Mystica. She knew exactly what was going on. Somehow, Andrew had tapped into a magic that allowed his soul access into her Rosa Mystica and use of the powers of those she'd felled. The feeling of him inside her very soul was indescribable

"Take hold of the yellow one."

The moment he touched it, Andrew found himself standing in front of the window again. Looking down, he found he now held a violin in his hands. He turned questioningly to Suigintou, whose euphoric face was red and she held herself as if hugging an invisible lover.

She opened her eyes and cooed, "Andrew..." Suigintou cupped his face with her small hands and pressed her lips against his. In that moment they shared the experience of their first kisses.


	13. Twisted Sister

(A/N: yes, this title IS a tribute to the band... BRING ON THE METAL!!! ... ahem, moving on...)

TWISTED SISTER

"Ya-chan," Sora had dyed her clothes and hair black using her magic, "how does it look?"

"The blue suited you much better."

She looked in the mirror and decided to discar the hat. Now, there was only one thing that still connected her to who she once was, her heterochromia. Once again, Yamato felt a slight burning in his Rose Ring as he watched Sora put her hand over her green eye. She pulled her hand away and admired her handiwork as both of her eyes were now red. "There, now nothing remains of Souseiseki.

Yamato shifted uncomfortably, he felt like he'd just wathced a suicide. The girl in front of him was indeed no longer Souseiseki, but neither was she the Sora he'd considered his family.

"So, what do you think now?" It seemed like her eyes were made of Hellfire.

"Honestly? Or what you want to hear?"

Sora responded by putting her hands on her hips.

"You look like child succubus without wings."

Part of Sora liked being refered to as Hellspawn, afterall, only one tainted by evil could cut down their twin sister. She grinned maliciously, "if I was able to cut her down, that means i've broken past my old barriers... I'll be able to beat any of them, even Shinku."

"Why would you do that?" Yamato asked, "why hurt yourself again by fighting another sister?"

"It's what I was born to do; killmy sisters and take their souls so i can become Alice."

"But is that why you fight?"

"Yes. And becoming Alice is the only way that I can redeem myself."

"You didn't know!" Yamato took her hands to make sure he had her full attention, "and you did it to protect me. you aren't evil!"

Sora cast her eyes to the side, "Ya-chan..."

Sora, please turn back to the happy girl you were."

She was suprised when Yamato let go of her hands and wrapped his arms around her. She felt a faint light in her soul everytime they touched. She wished for nothing more than for Yamato to be hers. "Ya-chan, I know you are with Haru-chan, but I want you to know..." Sora squeezed her Medium, "she isn't the only one in love with you."

"Sora, you kno-"

"I do," she let him go, "and that's why instead of being your lover, I will become Alice."

"If you really must, I'll do what I can to help."

"Thank you, but it will be too dangerous, I can't fight while worrying about you. If you just stay here, your power will still reach me."

"If it's what will help."

"Good... And I know who I'm going after first."


	14. Magic of Song

MAGIC OF SONG

Suigintou had learned the violin when she absorbed Kanaria. Now she was teaching Andrew since the power of Kanaria's magic increases exponentially with the difficulty of the piece played. His learing curve was incredible, but even after two weeks you can only come so far with a new insturment. He was however able to preform versions of Kanaria's two basic attacks: the Counterattack Partita, which Suigintou had used on him during their arguement; and his own version of the First Movement, Attacking Waltz, it created concentrated sound waves to impacted where his will directed it.

Suigintou sat on the windowsill with her eyes closed, listening to Andrew play a slow tune that conjured the image of a quite winter night in her mind. "It's only been two weeks," she thought, "but he can already paint pictures with his music."

Andrew stopped playing, "Suigintou," he asked.

"What is it?"

"Is there a reason that you haven't gone after the others yet?"

"I wanted to make sure you can fend for yourself," Suigintou hovered over to sit by him. "These three are strong, I won't be able to protect you AND fight them. Even Souseiseki's power has grown enough that if i really concentrate, I can sense the pulsing of her Rosa Mystica. She's not the same girl I defeated easily two years ago. Shinku has always been strong, and you saw Bara Suishou first-hand."

"Can we win?"

"Of course we can!" Suigintou answered as if it were a moronic question.

"I can't wait."

"For what?"

"To watch your dream come true. To see you become Alice."

Suigintou felt the need to figure out how Andrew felt about her. She knew how she felt about him. But how to do it without actually asking him. as she slowly looked around the room, she saw the violin still sitting in his hands. "Play me a song."

"What song?"

"It doesn't matter, put your image of me into music. use your soul to play the song, as if you were pouring your magic into the notes.

Andrew was confused by the way she explained her request, but as always, he was eager to please the girl. He closed his eyes and created the first few notes in his mind. Pulling the bo across the strings, Andrew tried to play a darker melody to match her slightly twisted personality, but the wwarm emotions he held for her made it sound like a slow, ballroom piece.

Suigintou smiled without realizing it as her Medium's feelings became clear to her. She leaned against him as she listened to the rising and falling notes. For the first time yet, Andrew played an entire piece without a false note and perfect pitch, as if he'd been playing for years. She felt her Rosa Mystica pulsing as it does each time Andrew'd make contact to draw on Kanaria's magic. She felt a rush similar to the one that had inspired their first kiss.

The urge to act on the feeling overtook Suigintou once again. She stood up so she could reach his face and brushed aside some of his ear-length brown hair which had fallen loose. Her Violet-pink eyes stared deeply into the dark hazel of Andrew's as she leaned in.

"Suigintou..." All thoughts of Tomoe Kashiwaba were erased, utterly and completely. The passoinate way in which his Doll chose to show her feelings suprised him yet again. As strange and twisted as it seemed, he loved this doll, the girl less than half his total height, and modled to be around five years younger than him.

Their lips met only briefly however. The bothed turned their heads to the chiming sound of an N-Field connecting to his mirror. The glass rippled as a small blue light passed through it and hovered in front of them. "Lempika?" Suigintou recognized the Artificial Spirit of Souseiseki. It began changing it's intensity as if speaking. "I see..."

Suprisingly, Andrew also understood, "so, it's starting."

They followed Lempika through the rippling glass, leaving behind both the bedroom and their moment of passion.


	15. Dancing Demons

DANCING DEMONS

"Well, well," A girl with black hair, black clothes and red eyes stood there with a huge pair of scissors held over her left shoulder and an appearent attitude problem from the way she spoke. "That was quick."

"Souse-"

"DON'T USE THAT NAME!" the girl pointed the tip of the scissors menicingly at the dark angel. "I'm no longer the girl I once was, Suigintou!"

"So I see. Not only did you throw away the name Father gave you, but you tainted the half-beauty he bestowed upon you as well."

"Junk has no right to talk of being tainted!"

For once, the word didn't even faze Suigintou. In fact, after a few seconds she started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"I have proof that Father wants me to become Alice. Between when I fell asleep after Megu's death and when Andrew wound me up..." She placed her hand on her stomach, "Father completed me."

"Well good for you," She shifted her weight, obviously impatient to begin the fight.

"So," Suigintou summoned her sword, "what name shall I carve upon your grave?" She whispered to Andrew, "Don't use your power unless you must."

"But I-" Andrew was silenced when Suigintou kissed him.

"The most dangerous fighter is the one who hides their strength until they truly need it."

A burning jealousy consumed the dark girl. "Even Suigintou finds love?" She silently screamed in a rage. "Even when Ya-chan won't respond to my feelings, that twisted wench finds love!?!" She leapt at them screaming, "SUIGINTOU!!!"

Andrew was thrown back as Suigintou dodged, she brought up her sword to parry the follow-up. "This is too ruthless for the Suiseiseki I remember."

"Stop calling me that!" she threw her weight as she pushed Suigintou back.

Suigintou unleashed a barrage of feathers as she backed away to space herself from the wild and dangerous girl attacking her. "Then tell me what name your Medium will cry out when their Rose Ring shatters"

"My name is Sora Tsukawaki!" She defended against the attack by swinging hard enough to create wind that blew the feathers away. "Ya-chan will feel no grief since I will win!"

"Ya-chan?" Suigintou laughed at the nickname. "Is she prepared to lose you?"

"Yamato is the BOY i love!" Sora charged again throwing her entire being into the downward strike.

"Sorry, Sora. But his heart will break toni-" Suignotu found herself unable to finish the sentance because the strike drove her to the ground.

Sora followed up the attack with one of the same nature, driving Suingintou to her knees. "I'VE GOT YOU!"

Suingtou dropped her sword as vines shout out of the ground beneath her. She was restrained by Suiseiseki's magic. "NO!"

Sora took the scissors in both hands and raised the finishing blow, "Goodbye Suigin-"

"FIRST MOVEMENT!" Andrew screamed as he pulled the bo across the strings, "WALTZ OF DEATH!"

The soundwaves plowed into the unprepared Sora, knocking her to the ground several yards away. This bought Suigintou enough time to free herself.

"What the..." Sora shook the fog from her head as she stood. She saw andrew holding Kanaria's violin, its strings glowing purple as he coursed magic through them. "How?"

"The Maestro of Death can tap into the powers of any Rosa Mystica I posses."

"You're Medium is a Maestro?"

"Yes, not that it matters though." Suigintou's wings transformed into a pair of dragon-heads. "I'm going to destroy you to the point that not even Father can fix you."

Sora took a stance, "bring it on!"

The dragons roared as they charged at the attacking Sora. Andrew was too distracted by the burning of his ring and missed the climatic strike, all he heard was Sora's screams of extreme pain. Then he felt the warmth of a Rosa Mystica washing over him, erasing the pain that had brought him to his knees. "Where is she?"

Suigintou silently pointed.

Andrew followed her motion, "oh my God..."

There laid on the ground a motionless pile of charred remains. He walked over and tried to roll her face-up, but his mere touch was enough to crumble the brittle material. He stood up, looking down at the pile of blackened pieces of clockwork and plaster, all that remained of the Fourth Doll of the Rozen Maidens. "Suigintou..." He said as he walked up to her.

"Don't try to complain, I-"

Andrew wrapped his arms around her, thank God you are okay! I didn't think I'd make it in time!"

"A-Andrew..." At first Suigintou was too stunned to react. But once Andrew's warmth reached her, she closed her eyes and hugged him back.


	16. Message

MESSAGE

The rain pounded the windows as Micchan entered the homeroom class. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed as everyone stood and bowed. Jun walked to the front of the room to read the daily announcements.

The vibes coming from behind Andrew matched the weather perfectly. Yamato was brooding over the loss of Sora. It was a depression so deep that not even his girlfriend Haru could get him to smile.

As Jun was finishing his announcement about the kendo team qualifying for nationals and crediting the latest victory to Tomoe's incredible upset when she beat the North Star High captain, lightning flashed and the power cut. The room was dark when the sound of ripping filled the air. A Rabbit Hole opened directly behind Jun, causing him to step back as Laplace emerged from the hole in space-time. "Greetings to all the promising young scholars."

"What are you?" a girl in the front row gasped.

"Fear not children, I am merely here as a messenger. The Father of the 1st and 5th is sadden is saddened by the loss of all but two of his precious masterpieces."

"What does that mean?"

"Those involved will know... Also the Mediums of Crimson and Silver are asked to end his suffering by at least granting his wish."

"What is his wish?" Haru chirped

"My message has been delivered. Thus I bid you all adieu." He opened another Rabbit Hole as an exit. Bowing deeply he said, "I hope you do well in your studies." Laplace stepped back anto the light and dissappeared as the quantum anomoly closed. The lights were restored as soon as he left.

The classroom filled with chatter as everyone tried to figure out what the cryptic statements had meant. The two who the message was intended for had understood it clearly though. Andrew and Jun just stared at each other from across the room. The only reason that nobody noticed was the ringing of the 1st hour bell.


	17. Rozen

ROZEN

"Suigintou!" Andrew called as he entered his apartment and closed the door. He stopped when he saw Laplace in his living room area with the doll he loved.

"When one speaks of the Devil," the pointed ears twitched, "he makes his entrance."

"Andrew," Suigintou smiled broadly, "Father summons us."

"Wait," Andrew recognized the motion Laplace used to open a Rabbit Hole.

"Yes?"

"Sakurada mentioned something that reminded me of what you said when we first met. You had said something along the lines of seeking a lie can bring either the lie or its truth... Are you working for Rozen? The REAL Rozen this time?"

Laplace made an expression that Andrew could only guess was amused, "that is not what I was refering to when I said that. But you have a very keen mind young Maestro." Without further delays, Laplace opened the Rabbit Hole. "After you, my lady."

Suigintou hovered into the light and Andrew followed. When his feet hit solid ground, Andrew found himself in a dimly lit room. Laplace waved over to a sitting area next to a fireplace, five settings of tea and scones were on the coffee table. "Make yourselves comfortable, the master of the house will join you shortly."

Andrew looked at the refreshments then turned to say something to Laplace. When he saw the demon had gone, he sighed. Sitting down, Andrew merely looked at the table. His mind was so full of things he wanted to say that his body felt full.

"I see, you were called as well."

Andrew turned to see Shinku and Jun arrive through a Rabbit Hole, just as they had. He saw both Dolls prepare to attack, rage burning in their eyes.

"Shinku..." Suigintou's hatred for the blonde girl clad in red saturated her voice.

"Suigintou," Shinku wanted blood, "you've taken them all... Kanaria, Hina Ichigo, Suiseiseki, Souseiseki... How could you?"

Andrew put his hand in front of Suigintou when he saw her wings begin to tremble. She gasped and froze her feathers before they ripped his arm apart. "Suigintou only killed three of them."

Shinku was about to say something, but was interrupted by the soun of echoing footsteps. Both Doll-Medium pairs turned as the door opened. A tall blonde man entered. His kind aura seemed to glow about him as he spoke with a voice that Andrew felt more than heard. "Welcome," he said, "welcome to my home."

"Rozen," Jun said as if expecting someone else.

"Father," both dolls cooed at the same time.

Rozen turned to face them in turn, "Suigintou and her Medium Andrewn Maestro of Death... Shinku and her Medium Jun, Maestro of Light... please be seated. I can see all four of you are anxious to bombard me with questions, accusations, and the like."

Andrew noticed something, "he's speaking German! How is it that i understand hm?"

Rozen turned to him and answered as if the question had be asked aloud. "It is because i speak to your soul, language is of no consequence. However, let's get onto the reason I called for you; first I'll take the time to answer a question from each of you, then I will ask each of you a question."

"Can you bring them back?" Jun didn't want to wait to find out if he'd ever see the girls that he'd considered part of his family again.

An anguished look crossed Rozen's face, "I already would have. While the Alice Game is the only way to bring about a True Alice, it robs me of all but one of my precious daughters."

"Is a True Alice that important to you that you only told us about the Alice Game?" Shinku demanded in an accusing tone.

"I told you two years ago that other ways exist... Enju was the one who told you all that the Alice Game was the answer when he kidnapped you all and sent you out into the world.

Shinku looked like she was about to cry, "again that fraud has ruined our lives."

"I can only accept a True Alice," Suigintou seemed to be scolding Shinku before turning to Rozen, "who do you want to win?"

"Whoever wins I shall love. As will I love and sorely miss those who have fallen."

"That doesn't answer my question, Father"

"It is as close to an answer as there is. How could you ask a man to choose one out of two daughters whom he loves deeply?"

Suigintou was silenced by Rozen's somber tone.

Andrew had no idea what to ask, Jun and Shinku had asked both questions he'd been able to come up with to that point. There were countless questions that he did have, but most were so inconsequential that they weren't worth his one question. So he picked one that had been nagging at the back of his head once he'd started learning the names of the Rozen Maidens. "You're German... why did you name them all in Japanese?"

Rozen's laughter rang cheerfully. "I had thought that someone with the title of Death would be more serious than that. It is because I found that Japanese was the only language beautiful enough to create the names of my beautiful daughters." Suddenly, Rozen became serious again, "Shinku, why do you wish to be Alice?"

Shinku was taken aback by the question. "Because..." She paused thoughtfully, "it is what you desire."

"Ah," it was clear that he'd expected that answer. "But, why do YOU want it?"

"I..." she looked at Jun, "don't know how to put it in words."

"I see," Rozen showed a knowing smile as he turned to her Medium, "Why do you wish to help her, Jun?"

"Because," he hesitated, "Shinku is very important to me."

"Jun..." Shinku was embarassed that he'd say something like that to her father.

"that is a good answer, although it still strays from the truth." He turned to the other pair, "Andrew, why do you wish to help Suigintou?"

Andrew knew exactly why, "Three reasons: firstly, I want to witness the birth of Alice. Second, Suigintou has a very pretty smile when it is from honest happiness. Third, and most importantly, I love Suigintou."

The silver haired girl felt her Rosa Mystica begin to glow warmly. She closed her eyes and leaned against him, a blissful look on her face.

"Wow, he's right..." Jun thought, "when she doesn't look crazy, Suigintou is just as pretty as Shinku."

"Now THAT was an answer," Rozen praised, "it was thought out, honest, and you admitted your feelings without hesitation."

Shinku was jealous of her eldest sister; not only had Suigintou found a happy romance, but Rozen was praising the other girl's Medium as well.

"Suigintou, why do you wish to become Alice?"

She opened her violet-pink eyes and smiled, "to live happily with you, Father. and also," she looked up at Andrew with a glimmer in her eye, "if I become a real girl, I can be a proper lover for the one who holds my heart."

"I see..." Rozen turned back to Jun and Shinku with an ominous tone, "Jun, Shinku, even though you managed to beat Bara Suishou, you will be pushed to your limits and beyond to defeat these two."

"they beat that crystal girl!" Andrew thought shocked, remembering how close he'd come to losing Suigintou. But now that he thought back, it was because she was protecting him that allowed Bara Suishou inside her guard.

Rozen continued, "Not only are they both powerful to begin with and hold more Rosa Mysticae giving them a massive boost of power and a wider magical arsenal, but they are strongly synced and both of them know exactly what they want."

"Why does knowing what they want make them stronger?" Jun demanded

"Did you seriously just ask that Class Rep?" Andrew was shocked that Jun might not have realized what it took him one fight to figure out. "Our magics are directly influenced by our emotions. If we can visualize our goals, we wont waver in the slightest." He grabbed Suigintou's hand, to which she squeezed in return. "We won't show you any mercy with our dreams in our reach." Andrew's eyes glowered with a killer instinct as he made eye contact with Jun.

"To be fair," Rozen interrupted the mounting tension, "we should allow them time to figure themselves out. I belive you have off of school on Sunday, correct?"

Both boys nodded without breaking eye contact.

"Good, as much as these words pain me, i ask you to settle this then."


	18. Saturday Night

SATURDAY NIGHT

The room was quiet, save for the clock that seemed to be ticking louder than normal. ANdrew sat on his bed, back against the wall, and his loving doll sitting on his lap, curled against him. He softly storked her hair as he listened to the ticking clock.

Suigintou shifted to get up, hovering over to her box. As she opened it, she looked over her shoulder before reaching in to grab something. She floated back over and held out a black hair brush. A slight blush touched her cheeks, "will you... brush my hair?"

Andrew smiled and took the brush. Suigintou turned and sat on the edge of the bed. She sighed as the brush began to glide through her silver hair.

"Did any of your other Mediums do this?"

"I've only ever had two."

"Tell me about Megu. She must have been a strong person."

"Hmhmhm," Suigintou tried to stifle her laugh. "You couldn't be any farther off. Megu..." Her mirth vanished and was replaced with a dark, somber emotion. "Megu's only wish in life was to die."

"What?"

"She had some kind of disease that was discovered in her. It affected most of her organs, slowly eating away at them. Her body would find ways to compensate, but on Christmas Eve last year, one of her occasional spasms proved too much for her body... She died."

"I'm sorry. Of all times to lose someone, that's probably the worst."

"It's ok. She was beautiful, even in her weak state." Suigintou closed her eyes as she remembered the girl in her late teens, and all the time they spent together. "The main reason she wanted to die was to stop causing problems for others, especially her parents. She was kind and simple, and she would sing to me..." Suigintou seemed on the verge of tears, "Will you sing to me?"

"I would, but I can't sing."

"Why not."

"I used to sing like an angel, I'd get all the solos in my school's choir. but my voice was the first thing to go when puberty hit. I can't hit a note to save my life."

"I see," Suigintou was clearly dissapointed.

"Why don't you sing?"

"I never tried," Suigintou seemed embarassed, "I'll be terrible."

"Don't worry, I used to do voice coaching while i was in choir. You can't be worse than the things I've heard."

Suigintou sighed as she tried to think of a song to sing. All she could think of was the song Megu sang the first time she sang to her. She took a deep breath and began:

_Happiness wont heal_

_All my bad memories_

_Gentle hearts fade away_

_Far away from here_

_In the night we'll go on quietly_

_And this, this is how it should be_

_Throw away and desire to hold on_

_let it go, everything that you fear_

When andrew sensed Suigintou was done, "I've never heard that song."

"It was one that Megu made, she sang it often."

Andrew stopped brushing, "you really miss her, don't you?" He laid a hand on her shoulder.

"I avoid weak sentiments like sadness," Suigintou turned her head slightly.

"Suigintou, you don't have to pretend with me."

"I'm not pretending!" she protested

"Then why did you just get mad?"

Suigintou knew she was busted. She hung her shoulders, "I was out flying, debating wheter or not to get a gift for Megu, when it happened. For a moment, the flow of magic wavered; but with Megu's condition it happened all the time, so I thought nothing of it since it happened all the time." Andrew felt the shoulders in his hand quiver. "But then, the flow stopped suddenly and completely. My spring had almost unwound by the time i got back to the hospital. I saw the blanket had been pulled over her head as my vision started to blur." The girl sniffled, "I fell into a deep sleep on the windowsill before I could even feel anything... no anger, no sorrow... nothing.." She turned and looked up at her Medium, tears streaking down her pale face. "This is the first timeI've cried for her." Suigintou put her head on Andrew's chest. "I'm a terrible person... I've been awake for over a month now, and I've only now mourned her."

"Hey," Andrew put his hand on the back of her head comforting her, "it's been a busy month."

Suigintou just cried, occasionally mewing Megu's name. Andrew held her, stroking her hair comfortingly.

If the two of them hadn't been so distracted, they might have noticed Laplace watching them from a rooftop across the way. "Hmmm... So the final wall is broken... But now the question is, who is next to shed tears of mourning?"


	19. Clashing Destinies

CLASHING DESTINIES

Suigintou and Andrew were ready when the mirror rippled. They silently looked at each other before passing through.

Andrew's feet landed softly in the grass of a vast meadow. "It's beautiful here," he commented. Jun and Shinku appeared a moment later, unlike before, they looked prepared for the fight.

"Welcome to my Field," Rozen's voice echoed as he strode up to them. "If you boys like, you may join me in the safety of my pavilion." He indicated a gazebo a short distance away.

"I'm good," Andrew responded without looking away from his opponents.

"I'll be staying too," Jun didn't look away either.

Rozen muttered something about them being True Mediums before walking away in the direction he'd previously indicated.

The two pairs stood staring at each other for a while. "So," Andrew eventually asked, "anything to say?"

Both of the boys knew they'd be involved in the fight and suspected the other had some kind of magic as well.

"I think that everything that could be said, has been said during past battles." Shinku explained.

Both girls leapt into the air at an unspoken word. The battle to become Alice had begun.

Andrew saw Jun tense, ready to use whatever power he had to aid Shinku. Andrew wouldn't allow it, he stepped up to Jun and sent him reeling with a left hook.

Suigintou and Shinku felt both the rise and fall of their Mediums' power as the boys attacked each other. Suigintou summoned her sword and was slightly suprised to see it parried by a blade of rose quartz. Shinku took advantage of having two weapons and hit Suigntou in the side with her cane. As she recovered from the blow, Suigintou summoned the Gardener's Scissors, "two can play this game!" She began relentlessly attacking Shinku with both sword and scissors, spinning to increase the speed and power of the attacks. Shinku had to move her cane and the blade quickly in order to keep up with the attacks, she could barely track the spinning blades. Suigintou broke the cycle by using both her weapons to push Shinku's defenses aside and kick her in the side of the head. Shiku was knocked several feet away before recovering and turning to see a cloud of razor-edged feathers streaking towards her.

Jun threw Andrew off of him in time to summon his barrier to protect Shinku from the deadly barrage. Andrew responded by reaching into his own magic and grabbing Kanaria's Rosa Mystica. Before it even finished materializing, he flicked one of the strings. The shockwave lifted Jun of the ground, causing him to crash to the ground a few yards away, stunning him.

"That boy is truly going all out," Rozen thought as he watched Andrew begin to pull the bo across the strings, gathering the magic for his attack on Shinku.

Jun forced himself to his feet, he'd seen the power of Kanaria's magic before. He began a stumbling bull-rush towards Andrew, he had to stop the attack. Andrew heard the footsteps as Jun approached. He kicked backwards, he kicked backwards. The impact of the kick traveled up his leg and caused Andrew to strike a false note, releasing an uncontrolled blast of sound magic. Andrew and Jun were both crushed to the ground, Shinku and Suigintou were blown away from each other.

The Dolls looked down to see their Mediums, barely conscious on the ground. They looked at each other and locked eyes, knowing the decisive moment had arrived. The girls hovered motionless, waiting for the right moment. They charged, weapons raised, each screaming the other's name.

Andrew lay on the ground, fighting to stay awake. He looked up at where the girls met. His vision was too blurred to see the final strike, nor could he tell which girl plummeted lifelessly to the ground because of the blinding light that enveloped the winner. He lost the fight for conciousness, knowing that one way or the other, it was over.


	20. Epilouge

EPILOUGE

The girl buttoned up her school uniform, excited to start her first day at school. She walked downstairs and sat down to eat her breakfast. Her father tousled her hair as he set down her plate, "How is my Alice this morning?"

"Father," she blushed at the affectionate treatment.

"by the way..." the blonde man asked as he looked at the clock, "aren't you late?"

She looked and saw that he was right and ran out the door with a piece of toast in her mouth.

Her teacher ushered the girl in with a strange expression on her face. The girl looked over her class and saw two familar faces; one with a loving look, and the other burning with hatred.

"We have a new student joining us today," the teacher started, "if you'd please introduce yourself."

Her silver hair shook and her purple-pink eyes flashed as she turned to face the class, "my name is Alice. Alice Rozen!"


	21. Alternate Ending

(A/N: I wrote this as if I were describing a manga, panel-by-panel

ALTERNATE ENDING

He sat on the roof of his school, fingering the knife in his pocket.

The wind blew and her voice echoed on it.

He pulled out the knife and began opening and closing it by flicking his wrist.

The sun reminded him of her warm embrace.

He stood and pocketed the knife.

Walking to his classroom, he felt no remose over his coming actions.

The door slid open and the first of his prey stood there.

He smashed the other boys face against the door jam before he could react.

The boy fell to the ground unconscious, glasses and nose both broken.

He reached into his pocket and flicked his wrist as he advanced on the blonde girl on the other side of the room.

The boy who sat in the desk behind his own caught his arm right before the blade pierced between the girl's fear-filled blue eyes.

"Andrew! What the hell!" He yelled as he fought to keep hold of the crazed boy's arm.

Andrew tried to break free, but somebody else caught his other arm.

After struggling for another second, he dropped his lucky buck knife and went limp.

He began sobbing, "WHY? Why did you take my Suigintou away? Why? Why? Why?"

"Are you okay Alice?" Tomoe asked as she looked back and forth between her new classmate and Andrew.

The mortal fear that had filled her eyes a moment ago was replaced by a look of regret.

She walked over to Jun and knelt next to him, making sure he'd be alright.

The blonde girl called Alice put a hand over her heart as she looked over at Andrew, "I'll be fine. There are some things that will alwas come back to haunt you, no matter how good or bad a person you are."


	22. Apology to Manga Fans

AUTHOR'S APOLOGY TO MANGA FANS

I have only JUST got ahold of the manga, I found out that way that what I thought was Rozen having ressurected Bara Suishou in the N-field at the very end was actually Kirakishou (SP?). In my chapter 11-MAESTRO, I'd used Kirakishou's appearance as Bara Suishou's discription, I'm sure the Manga readers noticed that.

I had this story written in a notebook for a while and I'm not going to correct one of my favorite works for this error. This is one of the few pieces I've ever written that actually has an ending as I'm terrible with finishing things I start.

My Sincerest apologies to those who were bothered by my mistake,

Andrew Yarbrough, AKA Shirae Natrice


End file.
